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This may be related to farmers not taking the tractors to repair shops. The automotive component I worked on was firmware updated every time the customer took

This may be related to farmers not taking the tractors to repair shops. The automotive component I worked on was firmware updated every time the customer took the car to a service for eg. to change oil, and an update was necessary. The tools needed for this were pretty expensive though, and needed some expertise, as the process was somewhat complicated. I understand why this is not trusted to owners.

cjrp 10y ago
If the lack of updates inconveniences their customers and potentially causes loss of earnings, isn't the onus on JD to improve the update mechanism? Make it as simple as inserting a USB stick, and then ship out those sticks periodically? It doesn't have to be OTA or anything fancy.
criddell 10y ago
> The tools needed for this were pretty expensive though, and needed some expertise, as the process was somewhat complicated. There's a pretty good chance that was done intentionally.
- kodfodrasz 10y ago
  Yes, but not in the sense you suggest. Ironically to save costs for the consumers, and improve reliability. Making the system suitable for safe updates without proper disconnecting and partial disassembly and tolerant to untrustad (also in electrical not only in software sense) peripherials would have added a lot to the piecewise cost. (think: more I/O protection electronics, more testing of upgradeability testing with untrusted tools with many failure modes, durable upgrade connectors fitting the size and other constraints). Still no user could and should upgrade that software, as any complication or untrusted software would be a safety hazard, and lengthy official regulatory evaluation and approval process is needed needed for every new version. (think: Road Permission Level revalidation may be needed (overseen by authorities) to allow a firmware to take part in traffic) The repair shops can save lots of cost compared to end users, as these tools are not cheap, but compatible with most manufacturers, so are needed anyway.
xorblurb 9y ago
> The tools needed for this were pretty expensive though, and needed some expertise, as the process was somewhat complicated. This is a problem.

cjrp 10y ago

If the lack of updates inconveniences their customers and potentially causes loss of earnings, isn't the onus on JD to improve the update mechanism? Make it as simple as inserting a USB stick, and then ship out those sticks periodically? It doesn't have to be OTA or anything fancy.

criddell 10y ago

> The tools needed for this were pretty expensive though, and needed some expertise, as the process was somewhat complicated. There's a pretty good chance that was done intentionally.

kodfodrasz 10y ago
Yes, but not in the sense you suggest. Ironically to save costs for the consumers, and improve reliability. Making the system suitable for safe updates without proper disconnecting and partial disassembly and tolerant to untrustad (also in electrical not only in software sense) peripherials would have added a lot to the piecewise cost. (think: more I/O protection electronics, more testing of upgradeability testing with untrusted tools with many failure modes, durable upgrade connectors fitting the size and other constraints). Still no user could and should upgrade that software, as any complication or untrusted software would be a safety hazard, and lengthy official regulatory evaluation and approval process is needed needed for every new version. (think: Road Permission Level revalidation may be needed (overseen by authorities) to allow a firmware to take part in traffic) The repair shops can save lots of cost compared to end users, as these tools are not cheap, but compatible with most manufacturers, so are needed anyway.

xorblurb 9y ago

> The tools needed for this were pretty expensive though, and needed some expertise, as the process was somewhat complicated. This is a problem.